This Voice-Activated Can Makes Trash Cans Sexy Again

There’s nothing particularly sexy about trash cans. They’re meant for one thing: To store dirty diapers, used paper towels, and other detritus. Plus, garbage cans are basically Ritz-Carltons for germs: A Kansas State University study found that common kitchen bacteria like e-coli, salmonella, shigella, campylobacter, norovirus, and hepatitis-A all thrive on garbage containers.

Fortunately, you don’t have to touch one ever again. Why touch it when you can yell at it? The simplehuman voice-activated trash can lets you do just that with a motion sensor and, better yet, voice activation that opens and closes the thing for you. Trust us, it’s awesome.

How does it work? You say: “Open can,” and the trash can opens. It’s got three microphones to triangulate sound for voice recognition accuracy. You can also tell it to stay open, and when you’re done, simply direct it to “close can.” If you say nothing, it automatically closes in 10 minutes. If you’d rather not talk to an inanimate object, it has infrared fields that sense the areas above and in front of the trash can, so when you wave your hand, it will open, as well.

The can is powered by a plug-in power adapter or six AA alkaline batteries and requires specialty liners that fit in a nifty pocket that dispenses them one by one directly from the trash can.

Pairing voice-activation technology with a trash can is a revelation. You can now forever elegantly dispose of dirty diapers and other gross things by asking your trash can to open, tossing in the refused, and asking it to close again. Throwing away trash has never been so civil.

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